RAIN!!!!........

A dreary, cloudy day with tons of humid air around this morning......and by the time the 1st Lady and I finished our two mile power walk, we were as wet as we were a bit later when we each showered. The day continued in that way toooooo warm and way tooooooo humid mode, until late this afternoon and then ......finally, a pretty good rain. Sure wish it would continue.....that is the prediction, but around here those damn predictions don't hold any water......hahaha....in fact, that water NEVER arrives!!!

I spent several hour today on this little lappie, burning up the keyboard as I wrote my own letter, and then edited a couple of others that are for the support of an individual we know. Not an easy task, but one that certainly is necessary for us.

This evening I fixed an incredible pizza, if I do say so myself.....hahaha. It was really, really good.....and of course, I had the assistance of the DiGiorno family who assisted me with one of the their family recipes. I topped it off with red bell peppers, fresh mushrooms, small bites of sliced ham, and more....lots more.....mozzarella cheese on top. Ummmmm.........was it ever good.....and caloric!!! Perhaps three miles in the morning will be needed.......?????

Chapter 3...Life in the USAF.....continued:

My orders arrived in January,1969, with a departure date of the first week of May......for Kunsan AFB, Korea. WOW.....I was finally, for the very first time going to get to see some of the world!!!!!! And....NOT VietNam!!! The initial excitement lasted for many days....and then I realized that I had JUST purchased my first completely new, undriven 1968 Mustang a few months earlier and it had hardly been driven.....the "break-in" period and miles had not even been completed.

So, along with all of my other belongings in the apartment, I made arrangements to store the new Mustang and everything at my parent's home. After a month's leave I was off to Korea with a change of planes in Tokyo. WOW.....I was in ASIA!!!!

There are many, many stories to tell about my eventual 14 months that spent in Asia. I say "Asia" because as it turned out during those 14 months, due to my "job" in the USAF, I was in many different countries on many different missions. I only spent a total of from May to October assigned to Korea and during that time I was in Japan several times, the longest being for six weeks as I was assigned to visit each of the USAF military installations in Japan......and the great thing was that it was on my own schedule and time. Soooo, I soon felt like I was not a stranger in Japan. In October I was transferred to Naha AFB, Okinawa......and was permanently assigned there until the first week of July, 1970(the following year).

While at Naha....I was sent on TDY (temporary duty) to Ubon AFB, Thailand for 59 days.....and I enjoyed my work there sooo much, as well as being in that fantastic country that I requested to stay there for another two months.....and I was granted that request. While there I was a member of a board that required me to return to Japan every two weeks for only one day each time for a series of planing meetings. Japan......again!!(As of today, 2007, I have been in Japan 27 times) I was in Hong Kong 12 times, the Philippines many different times, Calcutta, India, Malaysia, Singapore, Saigon several different times......you name a place over there and yes, more than likely I have been in the country.

It was absolutely INCREDIBLE!!!!!!!! The opportunities I had to see, to learn, to experience, to get to know soooo many places and their people was a dream I thought I would never see become reality. And yes.......my wide open mind.....my disdain for intolerance of other peoples and races, my love for the many various religions that I learned about while over there, my feelings of amazement for the wonderful cultures and their histories of the different countries and areas..........all of this "enlightenment" and deep affection for this part of the world was a direct result of my enlistment into the USAF and those four and one-fourth years that I spent as a member of the Air Force.

Needless to say again.......there are sooo many experiences, sooooo many places, soooo many people, soooo many great stories that I could discuss and tell about but there is not enough time and room on this little blog to do it the right way. But......I will say that this only increased my hunger and appetite for traveling........and hence, the many great trips that have occurred because of this marvelous introduction to the world......which has allowed me to so000 broaden my outlook on Life and which has increased my love for humanity.

And there ends Chapter 3.......another time line of just slightly more than four years. WOW.......how much YOU have missed out on by such a quick condensing of these four years!!!! Which chapter has had the most influence on my Life......which chapter has affected me the most......to which chapter do I owe the most for the way I am today? Have we found the clue....the chapter....that has made me who I am today???? Hmmmmm......at this stage of Life, after these three chapters I am still only 27 years old.......perhaps it is toooo soon to make a decision on those questions??? You decide................

However, my decision as to my Life right now is that..........

LIFE IS GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!....And, I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!!!!